The popularity of sporting events, increased broadcast capabilities and viewers' preferences have resulted in an increase in television coverage of such contests. There are now dedicated channels on free-to-air, satellite and cable television that provide 24-hour sports coverage.
The capacity of technologically advanced cameras to capture footage of sporting participants and events means that the viewer often has the best “seat in the house” without even having to leave their own home. Technological advances mean that cameras can be mounted within motor cars during race events and within cricket stumps.
Despite these advances many cameras used to capture sporting events are mounted on pan tilt heads and are controlled by an inaccurate human operator. During high speed sports such as motor racing rapid direction changes and complex framing are required. Currently available manually-controlled cameras are deficient in that they rely upon the skill level and reflexes of an operator.
Various camera-tracking systems have been suggested in paper publications that are able to track a target, wherein the target has a radio frequency or GPS tag attached thereto. These systems are however relatively simple and do not take into consideration complex framing and cinematographic composition. Furthermore the footage obtained from such camera systems is often jerky or erratic, which detracts from the viewing experience.
It has been found that when a high speed object are being tracked by existing camera control system, for instance where the target is constrained to a single central position, or any other single position within the picture frame, jerky footage will tend to be generated.
A target constrained to only a single position on the television screen will generally appear clumsy or mechanical. Greater cinematic effect can be created where multiple biasing means are used, such that the movement of the high-speed object is reflected in the movement of the image of the high-speed object within the camera's picture frame. This increases the viewer's experience of the high-speed object while still allowing for a clear well focused and framed image.
It should be appreciated that any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification is included solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention and should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art was widely known or formed part of the common general knowledge in the field as it existed before the priority date of the application.
As the reader will appreciate video footage comprises a plurality of sequential still picture. Accordingly, the term video footage used throughout the specification should be understood to be referring to the sequential still picture. The invention generally relates to controlling the position of the image of the object being tracked within the limits of the picture frame of the camera.
The term picture frame, or frame, is used throughout the specification and refers to the edges of the camera lens' field of view, or edges of the image as seen in a television, camera viewfinder or projected image onto a screen.